Castletown-Geoghegan 1-18 Raharney 1-16
Castletown-Geoghegan regained the Westmeath hurling title after a four-year wait with a fully deserved win over reigning champions Raharney in Mullingar on Sunday.
Aided by a strong wind, and with Westmeath captain Aonghus Clarke excelling from frees and open play, Castletown-Geoghegan were already 0-10 to 0-4 ahead when Cormac Deegan cleverly found the net in the 29th minute.
Raharney's only scorer in the first half, Killian Doyle, and Clarke then traded points from frees, leaving the holders trailing by 1-11 to 0-5 at half-time.
The champions-elect kept the scoreboard ticking over throughout the second half, with full back Liam Varley and full forward Niall O'Brien prominent throughout. Trailing by 1-17 to 0-11, Raharney did manage to fire over five unanswered points but Clarke brought his tally to 12 with a crucial free in the fourth minute of added-time.
Joey Boyle’s goal for Raharney with time almost up was merely a consolation.
Castletown-Geoghegan: P Maloney; N McKenna, L Varley, E Óg Clarke; C Kane, S Clavin (0-2), E Quinn; M Heeney (0-1), D Lynch; P Maxwell, A Clarke (0-12, 9f), D McCormack (0-1); J Clarke, N O'Brien (0-2), C Deegan (1-0). Subs: D McDermott for E Clarke (35 mins), K Glennon for McCormack (56 mins), J Bermingham for Maxwell (60 mins).
Raharney: A Doyle; S Quinn, C Jordan, G Greville (0-1); D Giles, P Greville, T Doyle; N Flanagan, C Boyle; J Goonery, B Smyth (0-2), J Shaw (0-1); R Greville (0-1), K Doyle (0-9, 1f, 1sc), J Boyle (1-0). Subs: A Sheils for T Doyle (35 mins), C Doyle (0-1) for C Boyle (37 mins), E Keyes (0-1) for Goonery (46 mins), D Finn for Flanagan (49 mins), C Boyle for Smyth (56 mins).
Referee: M Murtagh (Clonkill).
